Fill ’er Up!

Stopping for fuel at a service station seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, it does until you pull in with a boat in tow and find yourself jackknifed between a pump and the curb, or you bend a prop blade on the quarter panel of a Cadillac. When you have 20-plus extra feet to worry about, there’s an awful lot that can go wrong during this seemingly simple maneuver.

How will you enter and exit said station with minimal risk and maximum confidence that Mom’s Mink will remain fully intact? Here are the dos and don’ts of filling up with a boat in tow.

DO choose your station wisely.

Don’t just pull into the first stop you see because some have more room than others and some are busier. More room with less traffic is ideal. On top of that, be sure to look for sufficient overhead clearance at the gas pumps. Different localities have different height regulations, and while most modern gas stations are built to exceed the International Building Code minimum of 13-feet, 6-inches, there are plenty of older service stations around that won’t make the grade. If possible, before you head out with your boat in tow, study the layout of the station you plan to visit and take into consideration any special characteristics of your truck and boat.

DON’T pull into a single-lane entry or exit that is curbed and has sharp turns.

Do so and you won’t be able to swing wide to avoid hitting those curbs and may find yourself trapped and unable to go either forward or backward. If you fail to see it coming and find yourself boxed in, don’t just power over high curbs because it can cause a surprising amount of damage to your trailer and/or boat. With most (though certainly not all) rigs, there’s less risk if you jump a curb with the tow vehicle as opposed to the trailer and boat. In some cases, you may need to jack up the trailer off the tow vehicle’s hitch, maneuver the tow vehicle individually so it’s better positioned, then reattach the hitch to pull out.

DO pull into spots on the outside of the rows of pumps.

First off, while you might have plenty of space to pull in between two pump rows when you arrive, if someone pulls up next to you in a large vehicle or parks far out from the pump across the way, you could find yourself trapped later. Secondly, pulling in at the end of the row means you can depart in either direction. You’ll have space to swing wide and get the trailer around the pump, or you can depart going away from the pump. Park in the middle of a row and you might not have enough room to go one way, the other, or either.

DON’T make a 90-degree turn and pull your rig parallel to a pump, especially if you need to fuel both the boat and tow vehicle.

While you’re still perpendicular to the pumps, continue moving forward until the hitch is about even with them. Then, swing the bow of your tow vehicle away from the pump and travel 10 or 12 feet before swinging the wheel back to turn parallel. Pull forward halfway, then swing the wheel hard-over toward the pump. This will cock the vehicle and the trailer in a “V” shape with the stern of the boat and the bow of the truck closest to the pumps, and the hitch farther away (see illustrations at right). This serves two purposes: First, in most cases (excepting large rigs and small service stations), it puts both the tow vehicle’s fuel fill and the boat’s fuel fill within range of the pumps. This way you can fill both up without having to maneuver one into position, then the other. Second, when you pull forward, the back of the trailer will immediately travel away from the pumps, reducing the amount of distance you’ll need to swing wide if you’re turning in the direction of the fuel pump to exit.

DO pull up to the pumps from the roadside, not the storefront side.

This is a matter of self-preservation. Most modern service stations are also convenience stores and have parking at the front. Most people pull head-in into these spots, then back out when they leave. And because people going in and out of convenience stores are often in a rush, they may not always do that backing carefully. If you pull in from the store side and park, the outboard or drive unit will be exposed to vehicles backing up from those spaces the entire time you’re there, and very, very bad things can happen.

DON’T sit at the pumps if one of your crew is in the store or you need to walk inside.

When you’re done fueling, it’s courteous to pull away from the pump and park in an area where you won’t prevent other people from filling up, especially because you’ll likely be blocking multiple pumps if you stay put.

DO ask for assistance if, for whatever reason, backing your rig up in the confined quarters of a service station becomes necessary.

Service stations have constant traffic and many things that can obscure your view (like the pumps), so it may be impossible to see a car or pedestrian coming. Have one of the crew walk behind the boat to direct you, and if you’re on the road alone, wait for a friendly passerby willing to lend a hand.